The Adversities Saga 2 Inverse Loving
by kasviel
Summary: SLASH COMPLETE Sequel to HP and the Mirror of Adversities ;-) What lies within the mirror itself, and is it strong enough to unite a Slytherin and Gryffindor?
1. Prologue

Author's Notes: Well now, I got a lot of compliments on my first fic (thank you so much everyone, it means a lot!), so why not write another, I say. This is the continuation of Harry Potter and the Mirror of Adversities, so be sure that you read that one first. Of course, it is slash, and takes place when our boys are sixteen (my, they grow fast, don't they?). I suppose that's all for now. Until the next notes!  
  
Prologue  
  
"I love him."  
  
A week had passed since Harry and Draco's 'experiment' and the Mirror of Adversities ordeal. Christmas holiday was just wrapping up, and classes were back to normal now. Students bustled to and fro, getting themselves adjusted to school once again after their break. But even with the excitement of a new semester, Draco remained restless. Oh, it wasn't the new schoolwork that was bothering him (though it did not help at all), it was something much deeper than a few exams. You see, the entire week after Harry and Draco's kiss, Draco had not been able to think of anything else! In class, his mind would sneak off into a fantasy world where nothing mattered but his secret little crush on his rival. Of course, he'd always try hard to bring himself back to reality, but he would end up daydreaming most of the time regardless of his efforts. At night, it was worse. The bespeckled Potter tortured his mind, haunted his dreams, and it was beyond his control. Nights had never been the same after that kiss, that bloody kiss.  
  
Tonight was one of those restless nights for Draco Malfoy. His long, fair body lay among a sea of wrinkled bedsheets and pillows. His face was warm and flushed from tossing and turning, and his pajama shirt had come open in the front. The boy lay on his back, staring at the ceiling above. It was well past 11:00, but he was wide awake. His tired blue eyes searched the ceiling, as if seeking an answer to his problems. He could almost feel the time passing.  
  
"Potter..." he murmured, barely even moving his thin lips. He exhaled and shut his eyes. "Why you? Why me? What's the matter with me? I've always been able to control everything...so why can't I control my own heart? Ohh, bloody hell! This is so frustrating."  
  
Draco rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow. He kicked his long legs up and down in annoyance. "Why? Why? Why?" he asked, voice muffled by the pillow. "Why this? Why now? Why me? It isn't fair!"  
  
Finally, Draco threw the sheets off of his body and swung out of bed. He jerkily straightened his falling pajama shirt and lifted his head smugly. "Fine," he said, trying to calm himself. "If I can't beat these feelings...then I'll go with them. It won't mean anything, just a little teen-age fun, that's all. No one will ever have to know." Draco's gaze shifted to the side. "Now...if only there was a way to convince Potter to do the same...Bah! I'll find a way!"  
  
With that, the youth sneaked out of his room. Looking ghostly in his light pajamas and with his whitish blond hair, he crept through the dark halls of the school. He would find a way to ease his dark desires, whether Harry Potter liked it or not. 


	2. Chapter One

Part One  
  
"Harry, what's wrong with you?"  
  
Hermione had returned from the holiday, and the trio (Harry, Ron, Hermione) was whole again. Today, they were all eating lunch together. Ron and Hermione had been chatting away, until Hermione noticed how silent Harry was. Of course, the moment Hermione pointed it out, Ron noticed as well. In a moment, they were both staring at him curiously, awaiting an answer.  
  
"It's nothing," Harry said, trying to smile. "I'm only thinking about our new classes is all."  
  
"He's been that way ever since Christmas holiday," Ron said. "He's all quiet like and serious."  
  
"I know how the holidays can be," Hermione said sympathetically. "Try not to let it get you. You never have before, you know."  
  
"I know." Harry looked at Hermione. He wondered why he never felt anything for her. They had known each other for years, and she certainly had grown up to be pretty. Besides, she was his best friend (and a girl). So, why couldn't he bring himself to love her? Why did it have to be that obnoxious Malfoy? Harry glanced over to the Slytherin table. To his surprise, Draco's seat was empty.  
  
"Looks like Malfoy is missing," he commented.  
  
Ron and Hermione followed his gaze.  
  
"Hmph. I wonder where the snake slithered off to..." Hermione said. "Hopefully not anywhere near."  
  
Harry wondered for a moment if Draco's disappearance had anything to do with their kiss a week ago. Since then, Draco had been uncharacteristically quiet. He rarely even bothered to make snide remarks or confront Harry. He wasn't being nice, he was only being distant. Perhaps that was even more disturbing. Harry shifted in his seat uncomfortably. What was that Malfoy up to now? And why...why did he secretly wish that Malfoy was planning something...romantic...  
  
Harry shook the thoughts from his mind. "Well, whatever Malfoy is doing, at least it's keeping him out of our hair," he told his friends. "Draco Malfoy is certainly better not seen and not heard."  
  
"I'll second that," Ron agreed.  
  
"Me too," Hermione added. "Though, of course, whenever he isn't in sight, it means that he's up to something. Pesky little bugger, isn't he?"  
  
"Yes...he certainly is."  
  
*  
  
Meanwhile, Draco had skipped lunch to look through the school library. He sat before a long, empty table in the library. Old leather books were piled up on the desk before him, towering over his hunched figure. His platinum hair was falling out of place and into his face, but he was too busy to brush it back. He sat flipping through the books, dust flying, with his black cloak draped around his shoulders. His Slytherin scarf was hung on the back of his chair behind him.  
  
"Forbidden love..." he murmured to himself. "Yes, here it is. The Mirror of Adversities. Now...let's see what else it's good for, shall we?"  
  
A deep voice spoke from behind Draco. "Yes, let's."  
  
Draco jumped nearly a mile in the air. He spun around. Professor Snape was looking down at him, his black hair framing his grave face. Draco's mouth hung ajar.  
  
"P-Professor Snape!" he gasped. His cloaked arms immediately covered the book he was reading. "Can I help you?"  
  
"Your work has been particularly shoddy as of late, Malfoy," Snape rebuked him. "I believe it can be attributed to your constant daydreaming during class."  
  
Draco shrank in his chair. "Yes sir. I'm sorry."  
  
Snape's eyes traveled knowingly over the piles of books. Then, he looked back at the boy. Draco drew a breath, scared that Snape knew what he was up to. However, Snape's only words were, "I only hope that those books are being used for my class homework assignments."  
  
With that, the man flew through the library. Draco watched him seem to glide away, robes streaming behind him. The youth exhaled in relief. Snape was not a teacher one wanted to offend, not at all.  
  
When he was sure Snape was gone, Draco's glimmering eyes flew back to the book laid out before him. His eyes moved up and down over the pages. "Aha...this is interesting," he commented to himself. "Yes, this is perfect! Hm, hm, hm..." Draco chuckled evilly to himself. "Now...all I need is that bloody mirror that started it all...and a certain old chum of mine...heh, heh, heh."  
  
End of Part One 


	3. Chapter Two

Author's Notes: I'll be...I'm actually enjoying this more and more. Methinks I've found a new favorite couple :) Although the way I write Snape, he has a serious lurking problem, doesn't he? This really is a great series to write slash for, I thank J.K. R. from the bottom of my heart ;) Having fun? I know I am.  
  
*  
  
Part Two  
  
That evening, Ron and Hermione went to dinner ahead of Harry. Harry had stayed in his room a few extra minutes to finish up an assignment. When he was finally done, he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He wasn't too hungry, but he was tired. Oh well, might as well hurry and join his friends in the dining hall. They were already a little worried about him.  
  
Harry left his room and headed through the halls. At the bottom of the stairs, someone suddenly spoke up from behind him.  
  
"Hello...Potter..."  
  
Harry turned around. His beautiful rival was smirking at him smugly. His smile was hateful, but it made his face look so cute. Harry wondered if he should slap him or kiss him. To his own horror, he leaned more towards kissing him. Of course, he restrained himself.  
  
"What do you want, Malfoy?" he asked, determined to remain rigid.  
  
Draco walked closer to Harry, running a thin hand through his shining hair. "My, you are hostile, aren't you?" he asked. He looked Harry straight in his green eyes. "Harry."  
  
Harry exhaled. Draco was calling him by his first name again, which was never a good sign. He crossed his arms and faced his enemy. "What are you getting at?" he asked. "You'd better not be trying to test any potions out on me."  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it," Draco said innocently. He held his arms out. "Actually, I'm here to help you."  
  
"Help me?" Harry shook his head. "I seriously doubt that. Excuse me, I'm late for dinner."  
  
Harry turned and began to leave. Draco reached out and grabbed him by the wrist. "Wait!"  
  
Harry stared at him with a startled look. "Malfoy, let go of my arm. Why don't you simply tell me what you want?"  
  
"I want to show you something! Come!"  
  
Draco began dragging Harry towards the front doors of the school. Harry protested, but Draco ignored him completely. Soon, they had ventured out into the cold winter day. The courtyard was a blanket of snow, the whiteness only being broken by Harry and Draco's black cloaks.  
  
"Malfoy, you are crazy," Harry told him. He realized that they were heading for the section of the school where the Mirror of Adversities was stored. His eyes narrowed. "Planning on watching some fictional home movies, Malfoy?"  
  
"Oh hush up, Potter," Draco snapped. However, his cheeks turned pink, and it was not due to the cold weather. "I'm simply going to test out an interesting spell, that's all."  
  
"I'm sure," Harry said cynically. "Malfoy, I thought that you told me to forget our 'experiment'. If my memory serves me right, you warned me to stay away from you."  
  
For an instance, Draco's face melted into sadness. Harry felt his soft hand gripping his wrist tightly. "That's right, I did," he said softly. His confidence returned. "But that doesn't mean I can't come near you. And don't take that to mean anything too romantic, I don't mean it in that sense."  
  
"Then how do you mean it?" Harry asked curiously. "What is it you're up to?"  
  
They were inside by now. Draco pulled Harry through the cold, cement halls. There was a determined look on his cute face. Up the stairs went the boys, and they came to the room with the infamous mirror. Harry grew anxious. He refused to look into the glassy surface.  
  
Draco, however, stood directly before it. An evil grin spread over his face. "Yes..." he said quietly. "This is where it all began. The Mirror of Adversities. Professor Snape says that it shows an alternate version of reality, but a version that has the possibility to become reality. But!" Draco lifted a finger. "It also has another purpose."  
  
"And what is that, Malfoy?" Harry asked wearily. Draco's constant blathering was beginning to lose its cuteness.  
  
Draco pulled his wand from his cloak. He lifted his head. "It has the possibility...to..." He waved the wand once. "Inconcessus!" The mirror flashed with a blue light. Draco's eyes grew wide and excited. "This mirror can also take reality and shift it into another world. Have you ever wondered, Potter, what lies behind the glass of every mirror? What it may be like on the inside?" Draco waved the wand once again. "Inversera....universum..."  
  
Harry turned to him in horror. "What are you doing!" he yelled. "Malfoy, stop it! What is this spell?"  
  
"I-inversera...universum..." Draco waved the wand once more, his face growing intense. The mirror flashed twice. "Inversera universum!"  
  
The mirror was glowing now, engulfing the boys in a strange blue light. Harry rushed at Draco and pushed him up against the mirror's surface. He grabbed Draco's wrist hard.  
  
"What are you doing, Malfoy!" he yelled at him. "What kind of spell is this? What have you done?"  
  
A strong wind was blowing throughout the room, and lightning could be heard from afar. Draco stared at Harry, a little intimidated by his anger. But before he could reply, he felt himself sinking backwards. His hand slid through the mirror. Soon, Draco and Harry had fallen into the mirror. Their yells echoed in the room, and then they were gone.  
  
*  
  
Draco awoke to the smell of grass. He shifted, and then his crystalline blue eyes opened. Tall blades of green grass stood in front of his face, tickled his nose. Confused, Draco sat up slowly. He was sitting in the middle of a forest. It looked like the woods outside Hogwarts School. Draco put a hand over his head. He felt a tad lightheaded. Then, he remembered Harry. The boy looked around, and spotted Harry lying on the ground nearby. Instead of laughing or saying something mean, worry struck Draco's icy heart. He rushed over to Harry and knelt beside him.  
  
"Harry! Harry!" Draco turned Harry over and shook him. Harry's glasses slid down his nose. "Wake up, Potter!" Draco demanded. Then, he realized that Harry might have been dead. He dropped his rival and jumped to his feet. "Ah! Ohh...dead weight..." He brushed himself off, then looked at Harry. Deep concern lit his face. "Oh Harry....I haven't killed you, have I?" he asked as he turned his back on the unconscious Potter. "Killed him...I may have hated him, but I didn't want him dead! It's not my fault, it's...it's his own bad luck! I was only trying to get him to...to kiss me again..."  
  
"Kiss you, Malfoy?!"  
  
Draco whipped around. Harry was looking up at him with a strange look on his face. "Harry!" Draco squeaked. "I thought you were dead!"  
  
Harry picked himself up off the ground. "Funny," he said, "I would think that that would be what you wanted."  
  
"I...I don't want you dead." Draco crossed his arms. "Not yet, anyway."  
  
Harry looked around. "A forest? Malfoy, what on earth did you do? The last thing I remember is your spell, then we fell through the mirror..."  
  
"Inversera universum..." Draco murmured, staring at his wand.  
  
Harry turned to him. "Yes, that was it. What spell was it?"  
  
"Well...it..."  
  
"Draco, tell me what spell that was," Harry demanded sternly.  
  
Draco backed away from him a little. "Its purpose is summoning the inverse of reality!" he replied. "It isn't dangerous, not at all! However..."  
  
"However, what?"  
  
"I...don't know how to reverse it." Draco shrugged. "I forgot the words."  
  
Harry hit his forehead with his palm. "Oh! Malfoy! Do you have any idea what this means?"  
  
"Certainly," replied Draco. "We're stuck in a world that is an opposite of our own." He glanced at Harry's angry look. "Oh come off it, Potter! It can't be so bad! What's the worse that can happen?"  
  
"There's nothing to do but get to the school and find out," Harry replied. "Let's go, Malfoy."  
  
"Right." Draco followed him, looking around. "So...Potter...now that we're alone, I've been meaning to ask you something."  
  
Harry did not like the sound of that one bit. He didn't ask Draco what it was. But Draco asked anyway.  
  
"Have you thought about me, Potter?"  
  
"Why would I think about you?" Harry looked at him. "Have you thought about me?"  
  
Draco blushed. He recalled all his sleepless nights, and days full of daydreams. Then, he lifted his nose and replied, "No! Of course not!"  
  
"Well...there you have it, then."  
  
Draco's face soured. "Is that so?"  
  
Harry exhaled. He decided to just tell the truth and be done with it. "No," he admitted, "that isn't true. The truth is...after that kiss...I couldn't stop thinking about you. It's as if I were cursed."  
  
"Same with me," Draco admitted. He bowed his head, half his face hidden behind his Slytherin scarf. "I can't sleep at night, I can't concentrate in the day." Draco suddenly wrapped his arms around Harry's waist. "I want you, Harry! Good god, I can't help it!"  
  
Harry stood still for a moment. He hated it when Draco got so near, because it felt so good. He hated himself for it, but once again he felt like hugging Draco tightly. He liked the way he could feel Draco's thin, warm body through his clothes. He liked the feel of his silky platinum hair, which was now brushing against his neck. Harry shut his eyes. Lately, it took more and more effort to withdraw from Draco's embraces.  
  
Draco leaned his chin on Harry's shoulder, rubbing his ethereally beautiful face against the gold and crimson scarf. His pointy profile stared out at the forest. "Mm...it's all such a wreck, isn't it?" he asked. He grip around Harry's waist tightened. "If only we hadn't been lured to that room by that mysterious student."  
  
"Mysterious student...I had forgotten that part," Harry said, frowning in thought. "I wonder if our falling in love was deliberately planned."  
  
"It doesn't even matter, does it?" Draco whispered into Harry's ear. "We're here, are we not? We're here...and we..." Draco could not bring himself to say 'love'. Instead, he brought his lips to Harry's neck.  
  
Harry cringed as Draco kissed and licked his neck. "Malfoy...cut that out."  
  
"Why? We just admitted to feeling for each other. No matter how horrible the reality of it is...it still feels good, doesn't it?" Draco's hands slid into Harry's cloak. "To be this close...We're not even in our world anymore, nothing matters now. Let's just enjoy this before we return." Draco shut his eyes as he ran his hands over Harry's chest. What am I doing? What am I becoming?  
  
The two young wizards stood among the greenery and blue sky above. Harry could feel Draco's heart beating against his back, and his chest heaving as he breathed. Enjoy this moment? Harry wanted to enjoy the moment more than anything else in the world. But it still felt wrong to him. Harry had always done his best to do the right thing, but this was different. No matter how wrong it was, it was so pleasing. Harry exhaled.  
  
"You know, I never even planned on being friends with you, Malfoy," he said distantly. "From that first day we met, I've never thought much of you. You've always been horribly arrogant, and atrociously snobby. An overall brat, I suppose you could say. You still are...a brat, I mean." Harry's face softened. "But...still...I can tell that you may have a shred of decency in you. You love me...so, you must have a heart somewhere in there, am I right? When we fell in here...you were worried about me. Me, your worst enemy! You're not as bad as you'd like to imagine, Draco. Not at all."  
  
Draco buried his face in Harry's scarf. Harry could feel his slight body trembling. Was Draco Malfoy actually crying?  
  
"I didn't want this." Draco was crying. He took a shaky breath. "I didn't want any of this. This goes against everything! Perhaps it doesn't matter much to you, but it does to me! Everything I've lived for, this makes it all seem frivolous and shallow! My family...do you even know what they'd say about this? Forget say, do you know what they'd do? My father would kill me! I ought to kill myself for being so stupid! Damn..." Draco scrunched his eyes shut over tears. "What is the matter with me? Why am I so weak? Why...Why did this have to happen to me?"  
  
Harry turned around and looked at Draco. The proud young man was hastily wiping his eyes. Harry touched the side of his face gently.  
  
"Don't cry, Draco," he told him. "What happened simply happened, crying won't fix anything. You're so warm...You flush easily, don't you, Malfoy? You're so hot and so...so..." Harry tilted Draco's face back a little and leaned into a gentle kiss. He could feel how warm his rival's face was, and his nose brushed against moist cheeks, wet from tears.  
  
Draco was grateful for the comfort, yet at the same time, it made him feel worse. He was not supposed to feel comforted by Harry's kiss or by his touch. He thought about Harry's words, 'You're not as bad as you'd like to imagine, Draco.'  
  
Harry pulled away and touched Draco's face briefly. "Now stop fretting and let's find a way back home, eh?"  
  
Draco stared at him, the blush in his cheeks cooling. He looked a little shocked, but his eyes were soft and warm. He lowered his eyes, trying to avoid smiling. "Yes...let's go then."  
  
Harry nodded and started off. Draco ran to catch up and gripped Harry's sleeve. Harry glanced at him. Malfoy never had liked this forest. Harry smiled a little. Well, in any case, he wouldn't let Draco get hurt.  
  
End of Part Two 


	4. Chapter Three

Author's Notes: Hm...now this is interesting. To tell you the truth, I have no idea what to write next, I really don't. Well, I have been winging it all along (alas, my secret is revealed) so this shouldn't be any different. I never write out plans for my stories or think them out, I just put my fingers to the keyboard and see what happens. Yes, that is the God honest truth, I tell you. And once again, I am blathering my head off. Enjoy this, ta for now!  
  
*  
  
Part Three  
  
After walking through the forest for a bit, Harry and Draco finally found Hogwarts. It appeared to be pretty much the same. However, since this was an alternate version of reality, Harry and Draco were sure to be as cautious as possible. They looked around carefully as the tromped through the snow-filled grounds and into the main hall of the school. Inside, they saw that it was dinner time.  
  
"Well, everything seems to be fine," Draco observed as they headed for the dining hall. "See, you worried for nothing!"  
  
"I worried?" Harry asked. "You're the one that was crying."  
  
Draco turned red. "I wasn't crying! Well, not due to fear, anyway." He lifted his head. "I'm not usually so weak, but being in love with you, Potter, is definitely the most tragic experience of my life. So you can't blame me for being a little...shaken."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Malfoy."  
  
"Don't patronize me, Potter."  
  
Harry wondered if their constant exchange of haughty banter would ever stop. Even now that they'd kissed more than once, Draco remained the same. He didn't even try to be nicer, and he didn't seem to want to be any nicer. Harry would have hated him...if he didn't love him so much. And even now, he still hated him a little.  
  
Upon reaching the dining hall, Draco went to sit at his table, and Harry to sit at his. However, as he approached, Harry noticed that Ron was sitting in his chair, next to Hermione. Other than that, they seemed normal. Harry was relieved to see his friends laughing and talking with one another. It was comforting to be greeted by such a familiar sight.  
  
Then, Ron noticed Harry approaching. Harry smiled at him, but he could swear that a dark look was coming over his best friend's face. Ron nudged Hermione and nodded in Harry's direction. Hermione looked at Harry, and her face grew the same hard look. Harry felt a pit forming in his stomach.  
  
"Well," Ron said as he came over, "if it isn't Harry Potter. Where's your little pet Malfoy?"  
  
"Pet Malfoy?" Harry frowned in bewilderment. "Ron, what are you talking about? It's me, Harry."  
  
"Yes, I know," Ron retorted. "Harry Potter, the star of Slytherin. Harry Potter, who impressed Draco so much that Malfoy follows him around like a loyal puppy on a leash!"  
  
The Gryffindors laughed. Ron's words went straight through Harry's heart like a bullet made of ice. He felt a cold numbness setting in. "My God," he breathed. "This can't be. I'm a Gryffindor!"  
  
Ron's face hardened. "That is not funny," he said gravely.  
  
"Harry," Hermione spoke up in her most prissy voice ever, "this table is reserved for the house of Gryffindor. You may think you're clever, coming here to make fun of us, but we don't find it amusing at all. Go back to your table, Slytherin, before I'm forced to call a teacher."  
  
"Hermione..." Harry stared at his table in shock. So, this was the opposite of reality. These cold, somber faces of what used to be his friends. Harry didn't know what to do. A Slytherin, he was a Slytherin now. He knew how much he must be hated by his friends, and it was sickening.  
  
"Well?" Hermione asked, putting her pretty face up in the air. "Are you leaving?"  
  
"Here now, what's all the commotion?"  
  
Harry turned around. To his surprise, Professor Snape was there. But wait a moment...was that Professor Snape? It certainly looked like him, right down to the hawk nose, but he looked much different. His hair was slicked back and combed so neatly that it shone (very strange!) and his stern, hard look was gone. Also, his voice seemed lighter, louder. Harry stared in shock.  
  
Upon seeing how upset the Gryffindors were, an evil grin spread over the man's mouth. Of course, he quickly forced himself to act stern. "Now, we can't have any confrontational mixings of houses, can we?" He smirked at the Gryffindors. "Besides...there's no reason for a Slytherin to be in...this section of the dining hall, now is there?"  
  
Harry felt sick to his stomach. In this world, he was Slytherin's star pupil. Malfoy was his loyal lackey. Professor Snape was clean cut and kind to him. This was too much. Harry felt dizzy as Snape put a hand on his shoulder and lead him towards the table full of Slytherins.  
  
Draco watched as Snape brought Harry over to the table. His whitish lips curled into a smile, and he slyly drank from his goblet. Any love that Harry felt for him vanished for the moment. He hated him. He hated his smug, arrogant smirk on his pale lips. He hated the way his sparkling eyes gleamed with satisfaction. As he sat down glumly beside his arch enemy, Harry's fist curled. Trying not to look at Draco's smug expression, he turned to the person beside him...  
  
Only, it wasn't a person, it was Slytherin's resident ghost, the Bloody Baron. Harry was too sick to eat. He buried his head in his arms at the table. Upon seeing this, Malfoy burst into a rather demented laugh.  
  
"Oh, this is too perfect!" he cackled. "This is much too perfect! The haughty orphan boy who sold his soul to Gryffindor, the star of Slytherin! I love this world! I love this spell! God, this is good! This is too good, I say!" Draco laughed harder. "Inversera Universum!!!" he shouted, lifting his goblet high in the air.  
  
At this point, everyone at the Slytherin table was staring at him. Of course, they had no idea of what Draco was talking about. They didn't know about any alternate reality, this was their reality. As Draco looked around the table of odd expressions and sniggers, he realized exactly that. He lowered his arm, ever so slowly, and his shoulders seemed to hunch, like a meek dog. His face turned red. Harry smirked, feeling slightly better. He began to eat his dinner, while Draco was silent with humiliation.  
  
*  
  
"Perfect, it's simply too perfect."  
  
That was what Malfoy was saying when Harry and he were in their room. Yes, it had turned out that they were room mates as well. As Harry lay on his bed pondering how his life had become so twisted, Malfoy gloated about the situation.  
  
"Of course, it is a bit embarrassing to have a parentless Gryffindor- wannabe in the House of Slytherin," he said as he watched Harry for a reaction, "but it doesn't matter, since it isn't reality anyway."  
  
Harry did not reply. Draco sat up on his bed, looking angry. Taunting Harry was no fun if Harry didn't get upset. Draco decided to be nastier.  
  
"It's a shame that you weren't smart enough to choose Slytherin in real life," he went on. Then, he narrowed his blue eyes with more coldness than ever. "I suppose stupidity is a Potter trait, however. After all, if your parents had been smarter and chosen Slytherin, they wouldn't have gone and gotten themselves blown up, would they have?"  
  
That did it. Harry jumped off his bed to his feet. "Shut UP, Malfoy!" he yelled furiously. He was too insulted, too confused, and too tired to hold his temper. "Shut your vile, hateful mouth for once!"  
  
Draco lifted his head, drawing a furious breath. "You dare take such a tone with me, Potter?" He stood up, walking closely in front of Harry. "You dare shout at me...when the taste of you is still on my lips?"  
  
Harry stared at him in horror. Draco put his pointy face directly in front of Harry's, looking so smug that Harry had to take effort not to smack him one.  
  
"Funny...." Draco said, gripping Harry's arm in his thin hand. "You weren't so hostile earlier, were you?" He ran his pale hand over Harry's chest, leaning against him. "Do you want to fight me, Potter? Hm? It would be appropriate, wouldn't it? The son of a Death Eater...and a Potter..." Draco began to laugh evilly. "Of course, we both know which side won in the past, don't we? Whether 'He' is gone or not...well, it doesn't make any difference. After all...your parents are still dead."  
  
Anger swelled in Harry's chest. He grabbed Draco suddenly by the shoulders and pushed him against the wall. Draco was shocked. He tried to squirm away, but Harry slammed him against the wall again, harder.  
  
"Now you listen to me, Malfoy," he hissed in fury, "and you listen good! No matter what you've heard from your father, or how many book you've read, you don't know anything about my parents! You have no right to insult them or insult me! You're only jealous!"  
  
"Jealous?" Draco squeaked incredulously. "Me?"  
  
"Yes!" Harry replied. His green eyes dug into Draco's with a burning anger. "You're jealous because I joined Gryffindor! You're jealous because even though my parents are dead, they were courageous people who took on Voldemort! And yours, well, they were just lowly slaves to him! Yes, my parents died, but it's better to die with dignity than to live as cowards!" Harry's green eyes grew colder than ever. "But I suppose cowardliness is a Malfoy trait, isn't it, Draco?" he asked coolly.  
  
Draco's face was somewhere between remaining frozen forever with shock and crumbling into tears with sorrow. No one had ever assaulted him with such painful truths before. His chest heaving with angry breaths, he pushed Harry away from himself.  
  
"How DARE you speak to me that way!" he screamed. He stepped in front of Harry, black robes swishing around him. "At least I'm not alone! I'm not alone, like you are!"  
  
Harry looked at him coldly. "I'm not alone, I have my friends," he replied. "And are you certain you aren't alone, Malfoy? Take a look around...Can you even name one person that you'd trust with your life? Can you even trust anyone but your own spoiled self? Who do you love, Malfoy?"  
  
Draco opened his mouth to reply, but shut it again. He crossed his arms, bottom lip quivering slightly again. "I don't need to love anyone!" he snapped. "You're just a fool, Potter! You're a damn fool, just like your parents!"  
  
That did it. Too tired to start an all-out fight, Harry swung his arm back, and brought his palm across Draco's face. A loud smack echoed in the room. Draco made a slight yelping noise as he flew to the side, landing on hand and knee on the floor. Surprised, Harry looked at his palm. Had he hit Malfoy that hard? Well...good, because he certainly deserved it.  
  
Draco was trembling with fury by now, but was too shocked to stand back up. He stared at the floor, feeling hurt, angry tears falling uncontrollably from his eyes. For once, his pride and dignity had vanished. He looked up at Harry with a pitifully sad expression.  
  
His expression was, in fact, pitiful enough to make Harry (who had been proud of putting Malfoy in his place) feel sorry. As he looked down at Draco, who was basically at his feet, Harry felt a slight tinge of guilt. Draco's confidence was obviously leaving him as quickly as his tears were sliding down his hand printed cheek. He didn't even speak for a good five minutes. Finally, he lowered his gaze and began to pick himself up off the floor. Harry held out a hand to help him, but Draco hit it away. Harry noticed that with the exception of his crimson cheek, Draco's face was paler than usual. He briefly pressed a few fingers to his stinging face, then straightened his robes, trying to retain his last shreds of dignity.  
  
"Draco, you can't insult my family and expect nothing in return," Harry said by way of an explanation. "You've been harassing me for five years, Malfoy! I'm just...sick of it, I guess."  
  
"Shut up, Potter," Draco said bitterly. "Just shut up." His hair had fallen all around his face, but he simply let it hang.  
  
"Draco, surely you see how annoying you can be?" Harry told him. "You...You don't love anything. You don't care about anything but yourself."  
  
Draco looked at him. "I thought..." His voice broke. "I thought I loved you!" he yelled, fresh tears streaming from his eyes.  
  
"Draco..." Harry tried to put his hand on Draco's shoulder, but Draco moved away.  
  
"Stay away from me!" he shouted. "I'll find a way home! I'll leave you behind here, that's what I'll do! Then the famous Potter will be gone forever, and I'll be the only star at Hogwarts Academy! I've had it with you! I wish you'd never come to Underground London! I wish you had been killed!"  
  
With that, Draco flew out of the room and into the dark halls of the school. Harry collapsed onto a chair, banging his fists on the desk in front of him. "Damn..."  
  
End of Part Three 


	5. Chapter Four

Author's Notes: I know, I know, the spelling of 'Gryffindor'....I'm misspelling it, aren't I? But I finally found my Harry Potter books (they'd been packed from my recent move, you know) and now I'm pretty sure I've got the correct spelling. No? Ah...well...I'll look it up soon, I promise. [Note within a note: at the time I wrote this, before editing, I had been spelling it 'Griffindor' or something like that] Ah, well, that's a pretty dull issue, isn't it? Well, I hope no one's upset with me (poor Draco, I really shouldn't have had him slapped) but that's the way I do drama. As for Snape suddenly being clean cut and friendly, well, that even surprised me. Inverse reality indeed. Oh, and about that question. The inverse Harry and Draco did not take the real one's place, because when they return no time has passed since they went in. I suppose after they leave the inverse world, everything goes back to normal in both worlds, like it never happened at all in the inverse world. Complex, I know. Sorry if I didn't think it all out thoroughly, like I said, I just put my fingers to the keyboard and started typing. Also, what do you guys think about giving Snape a bigger part? Just curious, since I'd like to write for him (he's so complex). Enough from me, though. Until the next Chapter!  
  
*  
  
Part Four  
  
When Harry banged his fists on the desk, a drawer popped open. Inside it was a small black book that seemed to be a journal. Harry opened it. It certainly was a journal, and not just any journal. This diary was written by him! Oh, not the Harry that was holding it, the Harry of the opposite reality. Harry curiously opened it, wondering why his other self had chosen to be a Slytherin.  
  
Yes, it was all written in Harry's hand. Harry flipped through the pages until he found an interesting part. It read:  
  
Looking back on it now, I suppose my destiny changed the moment I put on the Sorting Hat. Professor Snape told me once that at moments like that, time itself splits in two, and two different realities are created. He says that there are as many realities as there are turning points in life. I wonder if he's right? If he is, I wonder what my other self is like? How would it be like to be in Gryffindor? I didn't ask to be in Slytherin, and I didn't ask for Malfoy to be infatuated with me either. Snape says that there is a world where Draco and I were rivals, then fell in love. He also says there is a world where we remain rivals. I would indeed like to see that. I suppose Snape would be right, wouldn't he? After all, he knows everything about the Mirror of Adversities, it seems.  
  
Harry stayed staring at that last sentence. Clean cut as he was, perhaps the Snape in this world was just as evil as the one in reality. Harry put the journal back in its drawer and went to find Draco.  
  
*  
  
Harry snuck out of his room and through the gigantic school. First, he checked the library. Draco was not there. Rather annoyed, Harry ventured out into the cold courtyard. He trudged through the snow and made his way to the tower where the Mirror of Adversities was being stored. The Mirror wasn't there in this world...but Draco was.  
  
Harry found him hiding behind a corner, sitting against the wall. His eyes were red and puffy, and he was sniffling slightly. He glanced at Harry for a second as he approached, then looked down again. Harry knelt beside him.  
  
"Are you crying, Malfoy?" he asked.  
  
"Of course not, stupid!" Draco replied viciously. "I have a cold again."  
  
"That's a lie if ever I heard one," Harry said. He looked Draco up and down. "And if you do have a cold, it's because you rushed out here in your pajamas. Here, before you get worse. Not that I'd mind, of course, but..." Harry took off his Gryffindor scarf and put it around Draco's neck. He noted that it didn't suit Draco at all. Draco also must have realized this, because he made a face.  
  
"Oh, I don't want your crummy scarf," he grumbled, though he didn't remove it. He also used it to wipe his tear-stained face, much to Harry's displeasure. "Stupid Gryffindors..."  
  
"Malfoy..." Harry sighed. He touched Draco's cheek. "Why must you be such a nuisance? Eh?" Harry began pulling him closer. "Why?"  
  
As he was pulled against Harry's chest, Draco suddenly tackled his rival. He pinned Harry down beneath him and glared at him.  
  
"Don't even try it!" he snapped. "I'm still mad with you! How dare you hit me!"  
  
But Draco was thin and light. Harry turned him over and soon had him pinned down. Draco glared at him continuously. He struggled and tried to hit Harry away, but Harry held his arms down by the wrists.  
  
"Draco Malfoy, you calm down now!" Harry demanded, sick of his rival. "Listen to me, I'm not sorry I hit you. No, I'm not. You have been annoying me for five years, and I've taken it all I can. You were insulting my family, Malfoy!"  
  
"I-I know that!" Draco retorted. "You should be used to it by now, Potter!"  
  
"That doesn't mean I like it," Harry growled. His face softened a little. "Why must you be so...so hateful? I thought you said you loved me!"  
  
"I do love you, damn it!" Draco shouted up at him in anguish. "That's why I hate you so much!"  
  
"You hate me because you love me?"  
  
"YES!"  
  
Harry leaned his face forward and kissed Draco then. It was a hard, probing kiss, one that Harry never knew he was capable of giving. His grip on Draco's wrists tightened, and he could feel Malfoy's cool, long fingers wrapping around his own wrist. Harry leaned his body down, flattening himself against his rival. He released Draco's wrists, and embraced him instead. The two became a single silhouette against the darkness of the room, moving like poetry in the moonlight.  
  
"....Wait, wait....Malfoy, wait!"  
  
Draco's hand stopped inches away from Harry's belt buckled. He looked up at his rival. Harry's glasses were crooked and falling, and his wild hair was even more disheveled. Draco cursed him for having grown up to be so handsome.  
  
"What is it now?" Draco asked. He punched Harry on the shoulder. "Are you scared, Potter? Scared of me?"  
  
"Don't be ridiculous!" Harry touched the side of Draco's pale face. "I can't do this, though. Not here, not now...I can't. It's too soon."  
  
"Oh Potter..." groaned Draco. "Why must you be so shifty?"  
  
Harry climbed off of Draco. He sat straightening his glasses and ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up more. He glanced at Draco, who was lying on his back, wrapped in Harry's cloak and scarf. Funny, he almost looked like a Gryffindor like that...  
  
"You are such a stiff, Potter."  
  
...almost.  
  
"I'm just not ready for that," Harry replied.  
  
Draco sat up, exhaling. "Well, just as well," he said. "I mean, it's probably for the better. Imagine, making love to a Potter."  
  
Harry shot him a disdainful look.  
  
Draco stood up. "So," he drawled on, "I suppose we should get home first, shouldn't we? One problem though, Potter. The mirror is not here."  
  
Harry jumped to his feet. "Yes, but I know who has it!" he exclaimed excitedly.  
  
"Pray tell, Potter."  
  
"Snape has got it!"  
  
Draco shook his head. "The Snape in this world is...peculiar...He doesn't seem mean enough to have it."  
  
"He has it, I'm sure of it," Harry said certainly. "No matter what world it is, Snape is always evil."  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow. "You just hate him because he's a Slytherin," he said in his drawling voice. "I think he's the best Professor in this school. At least he's someone who appreciates real talent as opposed to fame and rumors."  
  
"Don't start, Malfoy."  
  
Draco put his arms out in a shrug. "Who's starting? I'm simply stating my (high) opinion of Professor Snape."  
  
"And such a sweet opinion it is."  
  
Draco and Harry spun around. To Draco's surprise and Harry's horror, Professor Snape was behind them.  
  
"Professor Snape!" Draco exclaimed nervously. "We were just...ah...well, you see...We didn't mean to be out, Harry forced me to come, and..."  
  
Harry elbowed him. "We don't have to stay out of trouble, Draco!" he pointed out. "This isn't our world, and he knows it!"  
  
Snape smiled an evil smile. "So, at last it's happened, has it?" he asked. "The Mirror of Adversities pulled through after all."  
  
"You made this happen!" Harry growled at him. "You made us fall in love, you planned on us coming here! Why? Why did you upset the balance of our lives like that?"  
  
"Harry!" Draco exclaimed. "Professor Snape, we aren't from this world, as Potter so elegantly stated. But surely his accusations can't be true...right? Professor Snape?"  
  
Snape began to chuckle. In moments, he was laughing a high, evil laugh. Draco's smile froze right there on his face. Snape was soon chortling madly, causing his hair to fall over his face. He looked at the boys with a sinister look.  
  
"Planned you coming here?" he asked. His voice was more hyper than the real Snape's voice. "I didn't only plan on you coming here, I orchestrated the entire thing. Brilliant, don't you think? The student you chased through the courtyard...now, who do you think that was?"  
  
Harry scowled. "You! That student was you!"  
  
Snape laughed. "But of course it was me! At a much younger age, of course. Yes, after I fell into the Mirror of Adversities, my reality split in two. The Snape you know from your world is the one who decided to hide the Mirror away. I, am the one who decided to use it against my rival...the famous, wonderful James Potter." Snape's face soured. "He's so talented and so good, isn't he? Tell me, Malfoy, is Harry the same way?"  
  
Draco nodded quickly. "Oh yes! Horribly talented and so good."  
  
Harry gave him a dirty look, to which Draco smirked.  
  
"Disgusting, aren't they?" Snape asked Malfoy, "the Potters. Well, I have finally found a way to pay them back. You see, Harry, the moment my younger self entered your world and you saw him, your reality split. In one reality, seeing the Mirror probably had no effect on you two. However, in your reality, it caused you...to fall...in love!" Snape burst into an insane laughter. "What better way to get revenge on James than to cause his son to fall in love with a Malfoy!"  
  
Draco's face twisted with anger. "But that isn't fair!" he shouted. "I never wanted to fall in love with Harry!"  
  
"Sacrifices of war, Malfoy," Snape said coldly.  
  
"What!" Draco's high opinion of Snape was dwindling.  
  
Harry stepped forward, wand in hand. "Give us back the Mirror of Adversities," he demanded. "We are not staying in this world!"  
  
Snape cackled. "Mirror? Oh, you mean, this mirror?"  
  
Snape waved his wand at the bare wall. It slid aside slowly, revealing the infamous Mirror of Adversities. He stepped before it, black robes swirling around him dramatically. "Now, I believe this is what you were looking for so desperately," he said. "And...I'll be glad to give it to you..."  
  
Harry eyed him suspiciously.  
  
"But why would you want to return?" Snape asked. "Even if you leave this reality, it won't change anything between you and Mr. Malfoy."  
  
Harry felt a pit forming in the bottom of his stomach. He felt Draco grabbing his arm for support and looked at him. Draco was much paler than usual, making him as white as a sheet. He held onto Harry's sleeve tightly, looking as if he might faint at any moment. For once, Harry knew how he felt and almost pitied him.  
  
"In this world, you have a chance to be together without dirty looks from your friends or stares from Slytherin and Gryffindor," Snape went on. "Everyone expects you to be friends, you can have it easy. Why go back to a world where you're destined to be apart? The rift of rivalry between you two can be broken, here, now, with this Mirror."  
  
Draco's eyes lowered. "Broken...?"  
  
Harry stepped away from Draco. "No," he said firmly. "I am not a Slytherin. Staying here would only be fooling myself. I'd be miserable! Besides, you know very well that Draco and I will never stop fighting. You just want to have the pleasure of seeing me in Slytherin. Funny...you may look different in this world, but you are more sinister than ever."  
  
"You've been wanting to tell him that for years, haven't you?" asked Draco.  
  
"Draco!"  
  
Draco stepped past the annoyed Harry. "Not that I blame you, in this case," he said, holding up his wand. "Well, it's over now, isn't it? You see...I remembered the counter spell. It's simple, really. You only have to say the spell backwards. Universum Inversera!"  
  
The mirror behind Snape gleamed.  
  
"An unwise choice indeed," Snape muttered to Draco. "In this world, Slytherin still reigns supreme, Draco Malfoy. No lost Quidditch games, no Gryffindor House cups..."  
  
Draco faltered in mid-wave. Harry Potter in Slytherin...it was a very tempting thought. No horrible Granger girl to turn his eye, no poverty- stricken Weasly boy to distract him, Draco would have Harry all to himself. He would have Harry to talk to, instead of wasting his time talking to those morons Crabbe and Goyle. Famous, wonderful Harry Potter...Slytherin's very own Harry Potter...  
  
"Universum Inversera!"  
  
As Draco hesitated, Harry whipped out his wand and shouted the spell. Snape turned to him with a venomous look and cried "Expelliarmus!"  
  
Harry's wand flew out of his hand, and he was blasted backwards. He winced as the back of his head hit the floor hard.  
  
"This isn't your decision to make, Potter," Snape said bitterly. "So, Malfoy...what do you say? All the fame and prestige Potter brings with him...all for Slytherin..."  
  
Draco's arm was falling down. He stared into the mirror. It showed the first game between Slytherin and Gryffindor, only Harry was the Seeker for Slytherin. Then, it showed Harry winning the House Cup for Slytherin. Draco's silver eyes widened.  
  
"Draco...no..." Harry called to him weakly. He struggled to sit up. He could feel a cool trickle of blood streaming down the back of his neck. "Draco, if you do, I'll really hate you!"  
  
"The fame of Harry Potter...right in Slytherin," Snape went on to Draco. "Think of how annoyed that Granger girl would be. Think of the look on Ronald Weasly's freckled face. Think...of being alone with Harry...for the rest of your remaining two years..."  
  
Draco gripped his wand tightly in his hand. "It is...very tempting," he admitted, shutting his eyes. "The barrier of Slytherin and Gryffindor gone...Harry Potter with me instead of with those...those Mudbloods. It all sounds so perfect..."  
  
"Draco!" Harry called to him in protest. He fumbled around desperately for his wand.  
  
Draco tightened his grip on his wand again and opened his eyes. He stared at his own reflection in the mirror. "It sounds perfect all right...too perfect to be true!" he exclaimed. "Potter would die in Slytherin, he doesn't have what it takes. Besides," Draco's eyes softened, "he would hate me for certain. Not that I care, mind you. However, it would be pointless to stay here for a love that would instantly be ruined. And besides," Draco turned to Snape, "you are a pathetic excuse for Professor Snape, if I do say so myself."  
  
Before Snape even had a chance to sneer at him, Draco waved his wand a final time. "Universum Inversera!"  
  
End of Part Four 


	6. Chapter Five

Author's Notes: Goodness...four-o-clock in the morning. I finally got around to finishing this up. Sorry for the delay. And yes, I finally know how to spell 'Gryffindor' and I realized that Draco's eyes are gray/silver and not blue. Sorry for the mess and confusion, I got the story straight at last (by rereading the Harry Potter series). Hmm...but do you know what? Reading the books a second time around made me realize that my favorite character in the series is actually...Severus Snape. Peculiar, isn't it? How about I do a story about him next? Wa, ha, ha! And yes, I am even more mad than Dumbledore is.  
  
*  
  
Part Five  
  
The next thing Harry knew, he was lying in the chamber of the Mirror of Adversities. He sat up slowly, his head still ringing, and straightened his battered glasses. Draco was sitting nearby, dusting himself off. The room lay still and silent in the pale blue light.  
  
"What happened?" Harry asked Draco. "Are we back?"  
  
Draco looked at him. "I honestly don't know," he said, sounding exhausted.  
  
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps made them freeze. Harry realized that they weren't alone in the room. He and Draco turned their heads simultaneously. Severus Snape was gazing down at them sternly. Harry felt like fainting. The last thing he needed to see was Snape. Even Draco appeared to be in no mood for him.  
  
"I see Potter has discovered the Mirror of Adversities," Snape said. His face was completely blank as he spoke, which made it impossible to read his emotions. "Along with a certain boy who was formerly known as my best student."  
  
Draco hung his head. "I...I didn't mean to...I mean..."  
  
Snape ignored him and turned to the mirror. "Dreadful, tricky thing...this mirror..." he muttered bitterly.  
  
Harry felt a wave of relief sweeping over him now. This was the real Snape, with his greasy hair and his dark way of speaking. Harry stood up, and Draco copied him. The two boys stood beside the Professor. They all stared at the Mirror of Adversities.  
  
"Horrible, horrible piece of work, this Mirror," Snape said, speaking as if every word was a horrible swear. "How in Hogwarts' name did you two find it? I thought I'd hidden it away for good back then."  
  
"Actually, you were the one who led us here," Harry said slowly. Upon receiving an incredulous look from Snape, he launched into an explanation of the entire thing. Of course, he left out all the parts concerning the attraction to each other he and Malfoy shared. Snape listened quietly, occasionally twisting his face into a horrible scowl.  
  
"So," Harry wrapped it all up, "thanks to Draco, we're back now. For good."  
  
"Damn...Damn!" Snape exclaimed. He was gripping his wand so tightly that his knuckles were as white as Draco's face. "How can one be so angry with oneself? True, he was a different version of me, however, he was still me...damn him."  
  
Harry couldn't help being amused by Snape's frustration. Then, a thought struck him. "So, Professor Snape, you discovered the Mirror when you were a child?" he asked curiously.  
  
"What did it show you?" Draco added.  
  
Snape actually turned red, right up to the tips of his ears. His chest swelled with a nervous breath. "Yes, I discovered it," he said, his voice more nervous than ever. "I was...oh, about thirteen at the time. As for what it showed me, well, that is none of your concern."  
  
Harry was dying to know, but didn't dare press it. Snape certainly did look uncomfortable, though. Whatever it was probably had to do with love. Harry only prayed it had nothing to do with his father, James Potter.  
  
"Well!" Snape exclaimed, facing the Mirror. "I believe that this time, I shall seal it for good."  
  
He waved his wand once, a short, sharp wave. Then, he uttered some undecipherable words. The Mirror of Adversities grew dull and dim. The glass began to vanish until it was gone. Snape looked very pleased with himself.  
  
"Without my counter spell, no one will be able to gaze into it again," he said triumphantly. He was smiling one of his twisted, maniacal grins. "And as for the two who were sneaking around the grounds..."  
  
"Professor Snape, Dumbledore doesn't know about this Mirror, does he?" Draco suddenly asked.  
  
"No, only I do."  
  
"Really?" Harry asked, snatching the opportunity. "But Professor, I thought that only items approved by the school board were allowed inside school grounds? And aren't students required to report such items upon discovery or immediately thereafter?"  
  
Snape looked ready to kill. "Yes," he said through gritted teeth. His face was still red.  
  
"Well, I suppose it is the duty of Draco and I to report this to Dumbledore then," Harry said slyly. His green eyes met Snape's murderous gaze coolly. "Of course, we will have to tell him everything, including the fact that you discovered it years before we did."  
  
Snape was holding his wand so tightly, it looked ready to snap. He knew very well that his keeping the Mirror inside the school for so long would get him into deep trouble. For a moment, he debated which was worse: Losing his job or admitting defeat to Harry Potter. Finally, he asked wearily, "What do you want, Potter?"  
  
"I want this whole thing put behind us all," Harry replied quickly. "All three of us, we forget it ever happened. No punishment, and not a word to Dumbledore. In turn, we won't tell him about you."  
  
"So be it," Snape spat. "But if I ever catch you sneaking around again, Potter...I will have you expelled."  
  
Snape had been saying that for five years now.  
  
"Of course, Professor Snape."  
  
"Fine!" Snape said in a huff. Then, he swept out, black robes swishing along with him.  
  
"I...Incredible..." was all Draco Malfoy could say.  
  
*  
  
Things went back to normal in the coming weeks. Draco went back to taunting Harry, even more maliciously then before, while secretly dreaming about him. Harry was calmer in their arguments now, but he still gave witty remarks here and there. Snape was horribly angry all the time, and every time he saw Harry, he seemed to be reminded of the Mirror. He would sweep about the classroom muttering things like "At least they fell in together" and "Horrible piece of glass...that mirror" and "The things I saw in it back then".  
  
Once in a while, when Draco and Harry seized a rare moment alone together, they would discuss their 'problem' in secret. Sometimes, Draco would sneak in a kiss, which always made Harry turn a deep shade of scarlet. Other than that, they acted as they always had.  
  
It was a little weird to be rivals in front of everyone and act as lovers behind the scenes, but it became rather normal after a little while. It was strange to think that they were living in an altered reality, but there was nothing they could do about it. One day at a time, that's how they were living now.  
  
But even now that things were back to normal, Draco still wondered about a few things. He was a little bothered by being attracted to Harry, and even more worried that someone would find out. He was also curious about what Snape had seen in the Mirror all those years ago, but didn't dare ask straight out. One day he would find out, he assured himself. He also did his best to keep his feelings for Harry a secret, even though it meant distancing himself a little from the rest of Slytherin. He also used his position as Snape's favorite student to sneakily get information about the Mirror out of him. Sometimes it worked, most of the time it didn't, but it was always fun to try getting information without being obvious. It kept him busy during the times he wasn't trying to steal kisses from Harry.  
  
Walking through the courtyard alone now, Draco turned his light eyes towards the gray sky. Things had changed, but they had also remained the same. The addition of being in love was not pleasant...but it was not unpleasant either. Not truly adverse...and not truly reality...Draco smiled a little. Whatever it was...he liked it. And all because the 'other world' Snape had twisted their reality so shamefully. Draco smiled more and shut his eyes.  
  
"Thank you," he said quietly, "Professor Snape."  
  
He knew Harry probably found the whole thing disgusting...but that was one of the most appealing parts of all. Draco opened his eyes, and to his pleasure, saw Harry walking alone through the courtyard. He grinned evilly and ran off to further annoy his old rival and new love interest.  
  
The End 


End file.
